Many parents are surprised about their newborn babies not being able to fall asleep by themselves or that they will awaken as soon as they are put down.
Sonja Eskandari, midwife and nursing counsellor, believes that a newborn will often be unable to fall asleep by itself if you put it down with just a blanket or duvet. A baby needs to feel safe and sound in a familiar environment because it is used to a very small and shielded space from the time in the womb. By imitating this, the baby will become calmer and fall asleep more easily.
The best way to do this is by swaddling the baby. By using a swaddle you imitate the safe environment from the mother’s womb and prevent the baby from flailing its arms and legs, a so called moro reflex that can wake the baby if it happens during sleep.
